Gestures of Love and Friendship
by cheeky-chaos
Summary: In honour of Christmas, a few snapshots of what Christmas means to the people on Atlantis and the gestures of love and friendship brought out by the season. Slight SG-1 crossover in chapter 1.
1. Gestures of Missing Friends

Author's Note: In honour of Christmas, I thought I'd write a few snapshots of how love and friendship touch the lives of those on Atlantis. A small appearance by SG-1 as well, both past and present.

Merry Christmas to all.

Cheeky.

Spoilers: Mild spoilers for season 4

**Gestures of Love and Friendship**

By cheeky-chaos

**Gestures of Missing Friends**

Samantha Carter sighed, her eyes straying to the Christmas decorations Chuck was putting up all over the gateroom. She couldn't believe it was that time of year already. Command of the Atlantis base had certainly made time fly. At least, for the moment, the Wraith seemed to be busy fighting the Replicators and no disasters had befallen either Atlantis or Sheppard and his team yet.

With a small smile, Sam wondered if she'd be able to celebrate Christmas in relative peace this year. Her smile grew a little wistful as her thoughts slid to the various Christmases of her past. One of her earliest memories had been of herself as a young girl and that sense of wonderment and excitement all young children had at Christmas.

After her mother had died, her father had always tried extra hard at Christmas, almost as if he were making up for her absence; even so, her Christmases had been filled with love and family. In more recent years, that family had grown to include her team mates from SG-1 – Daniel, Teal'c, Colonel O'Neill and then Vala and Cam.

Just thinking about her missing friends made her smile grow. About now the inevitable Christmas argument would be starting between Daniel and Teal'c. Teal'c had fallen in love with the idea of Christmas the first time he'd heard it and always went overboard with the decorations. Once, the big Jaffa had even managed to get Colonel O'Neill into a Santa hat that had sequins on it.

Daniel, of course, liked instead to regale people with the history associated with the practice of Christmas, but caved in about the time Teal'c started hanging up the mistletoe. Sam had noticed, however, that his protests were getting less and less as time went on, no doubt to the fact that he was beginning to realise that SG-1 was his family too, no matter what happened.

"Colonel?" Chuck asked from the door to her office, jolting Sam out of her thoughts. "Did you want any tinsel in your office?"

Sam smiled at the gate technician, who was holding masses of silvery tinsel and little baubles while grinning from ear to ear. A slightly wonky Santa hat also sat on his head. Looking at him, Sam felt it almost impossible not to be caught up in the Christmas spirit. "Sure," she said. "It wouldn't be Christmas without tinsel. Thanks, Chuck."

"No problem, Colonel," Chuck said cheerfully, beginning the process of decorating her office.

"Where'd all this come from?" she asked.

"It came over on the Daedalus," Chuck replied. "Oh, that reminds me..."

Blinking as Chuck disappeared for a second, Sam shook her head slightly when he came in with a large brown wrapped parcel. "This came for you, with the decorations, Colonel," he said.

Her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, Sam stood and took the parcel from Chuck, before placing it on her desk. When Chuck was strangely silent behind her, she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry, Colonel," Chuck said under her questioning gaze, blushing slightly. "It's just... there's a few bets going on what's in there."

Chuckling a little to herself, Sam shook her head as Chuck went back to his decorating, before turning her attention to the parcel. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and simply had her name written on it in big black letters. She didn't recognise the handwriting.

Giving into her curiosity, Sam began to open the parcel, discovering a box inside that had been completely covered in Christmas wrapping paper. Suddenly having an idea on who this had come from, Sam grinned and opened the box. Sitting on top was a CD, with a little yellow sticky note attached. The note read simply: _Watch this. P.S. Teal'c sent the decorations._

Beneath the CD were several small presents, each with her name on them. Enough for one from each of SG-1, plus one extra, Sam noticed. Pulling out the first, she recognised the precise handwriting of Teal'c and when she opened it, she had to laugh. Sitting in the centre of the festive paper was the sequined red Santa hat she wore to Christmas lunch every year.

Cam's present was a tin of biscuits. Thankfully they weren't macaroons this time, or baked by him. He'd become a good friend to Sam over the two years they'd worked together, but as a friend, she could safely say that Cam was not or ever going to be, very good in the kitchen. Daniel had sent her a book on astrophysics by one of her favourite authors, somehow despite the galaxies between them that it was something she'd been looking forward to reading. In typical Vala-like fashion, Vala had sent Sam a pair of sparkling hair clips and a box of Godiva chocolates.

Smiling, Sam laid out each of her gifts on her desk, wondering just how she'd manage to send each of her friends something in return before Christmas. She knew she only had a couple of days before the Daedalus returned to Earth, but after everything she'd been through in her life, Sam was pretty sure she could rustle up a few Christmas presents, even in the Pegasus galaxy. Then she turned her curiosity to the last present as Chuck finished up decorating the office.

The final present didn't have her name written on it like the others, but Sam had a sneaking suspicion she knew who it was from. Glancing up to make sure no one was watching her, Sam carefully peeled away the wrapping paper to reveal the small jewellery box inside. Biting her lip, she opened it to find a beautiful diamond pendant on a small silver chain inside, along with a small note. _Thinking of you always, Jack._

Giving a very un-Colonel like giggle, Sam carefully closed the box before hiding it one of the drawers of her desk. She'd take it out later and take it back to her quarters, but for now she had an appearance to uphold. To distract herself from the gift her up-until-very-recently commanding officer had sent her, Sam slipped the CD into her laptop to see what else her friends had decided to send her.

Sam felt her lips curve into another smile when she saw Daniel's slightly blurry face on the video as he clearly adjusted a camera for a Christmas message. In the background Teal'c sat stoically on a chair while Cam leant up against what could only be Daniel's desk, drinking his ever-present cup of coffee. Vala was sitting on Teal'c lap, her eye following Daniel's movements and a frown on her face.

"Daniel, will you hurry up," she said. "Surely it doesn't take that long to set up a video camera."

Daniel paused in whatever he was doing to glare at her, but before he could reply Cam jumped in, trying to forestall the coming argument. "Is it recording yet, Jackson?" he asked.

"Uh," Daniel said, turning back to the camera. "Yeah."

He moved until he was sitting on the other chair next to Teal'c as Cam moved to take the one beside him. As all four of them stared at the camera, Sam wished for a moment she was back on Earth with them like they used to be.

"Hey, Sam," Cam grinned, before a small frown crossed his face. "Uh, I mean Colonel. We all just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Merry Christmas to you, Samantha Carter."

Vala nodded enthusiastically from his lap. "Yes. Christmas is one of those celebrations of your planet that I've come to love and I hope that you enjoy your presents, Samantha, particularly..."

"Vala," Daniel said. "You can't tell Sam what her presents are."

"Why not?" Vala asked him. "I mean, by now she's probably opened them already."

Cam looked a little confused at that. "They're sitting on the table," he said.

Vala rolled her eyes. "No, by the time she actually watches this," she replied.

Cam looked at Daniel. "She does have a point, Jackson."

Daniel scowled. "That's not the point," he began.

"What's not the point?" a new voice asked from off-screen and Sam felt her eyes widen as she recognised who it belonged to.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, the familiar figure of General Jack O'Neill appeared on the screen, looking curiously at the camera, dressed in his dress blues. Sam took a moment to take a good look at the man who was so much to her; friend, fellow mischief maker, lover and soul-mate.

"Jack!" Daniel greeted happily, as Cam straightened in his chair.

"General."

"O'Neill," Teal'c intoned.

Jack just gave another pointed look at the camera. "So what are you up to, Space Monkey?" he asked.

"We're just making a Christmas message for Sam," he said. "Because she's on Atlantis for the holiday."

"Ah," Jack said, nodding.

"So what brings you back to the SGC, General?" Cam asked, seeming to forget that the video camera was still on.

Jack shrugged, a small hint of a mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth. "Heard a rumour they'd be cake," he said.

Everyone smiled, Jack being well known for his love of cake. Daniel gestured to the camera. "Is there anything you wanted to say to Sam?" he asked.

Jack looked thoughtful for a minute, before nodding. "Merry Christmas, Colonel," he said. "Now, did I mention there was cake?"

There was a small chorus of laughter before someone turned the camera off. Sam shook her head at her friends' antics, touched that they'd go through all this effort to send her something at Christmas. When the camera blinked on again, Sam turned back to the computer screen to find Jack's face looking back at her.

"I've got to make this quick, Sammie, before Daniel and the others come back. Not sure I want them to hear this too," he said. "Just wanted to say that I miss you. I'll try and wrangle a trip out to see you, but no promises."

He paused for a second to glance over his shoulder. "And, you know... I love you."

When the screen went blank for a second time, Sam ignored it as she savoured Jack's words. After everything she and Jack had been through: the fighting, the waiting, the longing... it still felt strange to hear words like that said out loud and every time sent a little thrill through her. Out of all the presents she'd received, that had to be one of the best ever.

Sam was jolted out of her thoughts as Rodney made his usual rushed appearance in her office and she carefully closed the screen of her laptop just in case. There were some things, despite all the rumours, that she intended to keep private. "Sam, I've been going over the power readings from the last month," Rodney began, not even looking up from the tablet he was holding.

John Sheppard, who'd followed Rodney into her office, smiled and gave a nod in greeting as the other scientist rambled on. "Nice decorations," he said when he caught sight of all the tinsel.

"Thanks," Sam replied. "Chuck put them up."

"Decorations?" Rodney asked as John's comment stopped him mid-rant.

John dryly pointed to all the Christmas decorations around her office and the gateroom. "The Christmas decorations, Rodney," he said.

"It's Christmas?" Rodney asked, sounding shocked.

"In about a week, yes it is," John replied.

"It can't be Christmas," Rodney said, his eyes growing wide. "Oh no! Jeannie! What am I going to tell Jeannie?"

As he rushed out of Sam's office, she shook her head and turned to John. "You are going to tell him he has _two_ weeks until Christmas, aren't you?" she asked.

"Probably," John said with a grin.

As he turned to follow Rodney out, he paused in the doorway and turned back to face Sam. "Merry Christmas, Colonel," he said.

Sam smiled. "Merry Christmas, John."

# # #


	2. Gestures of Christmas Spirit

Author's Note: I had intended to write from each of the Atlantis characters separately, but this chapter sort of came out a little different. The third and final chapter should be out soon. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas.

Cheeky.

**Gestures of Love and Friendship**

By cheeky-chaos

**Gestures of Christmas Spirit**

"What's mistletoe?" Ronon's rough voice asked from just behind John as he was walking down the corridor.

Giving up on following Rodney, who was still muttering about Jeannie and Christmas tofu, John turned to his big friend. "Didn't we discuss this last Christmas?" he asked.

"No," Ronon answered.

"Oh. Well, it's this little plant found on Earth and people hang it up in doorways around Christmas time," John explained.

"Why?"

John paused for a moment, wondering how exactly he could explain it. "There's a tradition at Christmas that you have to kiss anyone who's standing under the mistletoe with you," he said simply.

"So the Marines wanted to hang it all over the infirmary so they could kiss the nurses?" Ronon asked.

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Huh," Ronon grunted, a considering look on his face. "Do you know where I can find some mistletoe?"

"Talk to Chuck," John suggested. "He was hanging up Christmas decorations earlier."

Shaking his head slightly as Ronon abruptly turned and left, John continued on his way towards Rodney's lab, thinking he'd probably find the scientist there. A few minutes after Ronon had left, Teyla joined him. "John," she greeted warmly, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Teyla," John replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Dr. Keller assures me that both my baby and I are in perfect health," she said.

John nodded. "That's good."

"It is," Teyla agreed. "Have you seen Ronon this morning?"

"Yeah, I just saw him," John answered. "He's heading towards the gateroom if you wanted to catch him."

"Is there anything the matter?" Teyla asked, concerned.

John grinned. "Nah," he replied. "He's just after some mistletoe."

"So he has finally decided to show his attraction for Dr. Keller," Teyla said, as perceptive as ever.

Looking a little surprise, John looked at her. "He mentioned something to you?" he asked.

"He did not need to. He visits the infirmary every time I need to have a check up and I have long since believed he acts not just out of friendship towards me."

"Are you sure about that?" John couldn't resist but tease.

Teyla slid him a sidelong glance. "It is not me he stares at."

John grinned. "Should be fun to see," he commented.

"If Ronon can find some mistletoe," Teyla replied. "Much of it is already hanging about Atlantis. In fact, I have kissed three times already this morning."

John blinked at that, surprised. "I don't have to start sending people to Wraith infested planets, do I?" he asked.

Teyla hid a smile. "No, they were all perfect gentlemen," she said. "Well, perhaps not Lt. Cadman. It may be more appropriate to say she was a gentlewoman."

"Cadman kissed you?"

"I believe it was a dare," Teyla informed him.

"Damn," John muttered under his breath.

Again, Teyla slid him an amused glance. "I should warn you, John, that I have heard a number of people express an interest at catching you underneath the mistletoe."

John grinned. "Yes, but I've perfected a mistletoe avoidance strategy," he said.

"I do not believe there was much avoidance last year," Teyla commented.

Before John could deny it, their conversation was broken by Rodney sudden appearance just outside his lab. He glared accusingly at John, wagging a finger in his direction. "You did that on purpose!" Rodney snapped.

Giving him his best innocent look, John blinked. "Did what, Rodney?"

Rodney scowled. "You made me think I only had one week left until Christmas," he said. "It's bad enough that I won't be able to go to Christmas dinner this year, but you had to go and make me think I couldn't even send presents!"

"Well, the Daedalus does leave in a couple of days," John said.

"What?" Rodney looked horrified.

Whirling, the scientist did another mad dash into his lab, leaving John chuckling to himself in the corridor. "You are tormenting him on purpose," Teyla said, sounding slightly reproachful.

John grinned, unrepentant. "It's what Christmas is all about," he said. "Annoying your family. That and eating so much you feel like you're going to explode."

Teyla shook her head. "There is still much about your culture I do not understand, John."

"What's to understand," he said. "We're really just a simple people."

"Mmm hmm," Teyla replied, sounding as if she didn't believe him in the slightest.

With yet another mischievous grin, an expression Teyla was becoming to associate with a sense of foreboding, John turned to her. "Come on," he said. "Let's go find Ronon. We're going to need help."

"Help for what?" Teyla asked.

"Handing out invitations to the Annual Atlantis Christmas Party, of course!"

# # #

When Teyla and John reached the gateroom, Ronon was nowhere to be seen, but Chuck was looking rather pale as he sat in his usual chair and he appeared to be staring blankly at the desk in front of him. "Is something the matter?" Teyla could not help was ask in concern.

Chuck blinked up at them, jumping a little in his chair as if not expecting them and then swallowing when he recognised who it was. "It's not my fault, I swear," he said in a rush.

John narrowed his eyes. "What's not your fault?" he asked, his tone deceptively mild.

"Ah..." Chuck began. "Ronon kind of demanded some mistletoe. I don't know what he wanted with it, I swear, sir."

Hiding a smile, John fixed Chuck with a reproachful look. "Did you see which way he went?" he asked.

"The infirmary, I think, sir," Chuck said a little nervously.

Turning, Teyla and John headed towards the infirmary in silence, both knowing the reason Ronon had headed that way... with mistletoe. True enough, by the time they got to the infirmary, there was a small crowd whooping and clustered around the centre of the room, where Ronon was currently kissing Dr. Jennifer Keller.

John grinned at the sight. "Lorne's going to hate this," he said.

"Why would Evan be upset at Ronon kissing Dr. Keller?" Teyla asked.

John didn't miss the fact that Teyla used Lorne's first name. "Because he owes me fifty bucks," he replied.

He saw Teyla roll her eyes out of the corner of his eye at his response and couldn't help the smile that curved his mouth. So far, Christmas was shaping up to be better than he'd thought. The Wraith were being strangely quiet, which may lead to bad things in the near future, but for now there was peace on Atlantis. His friends were around, as happy as they could be, and that's all John had wanted this Christmas.

His grin widened at Dr. Keller's startled, "Ronon!" when the big guy released her finally and he decided there was one more thing he wanted this Christmas – the inevitable mass of blackmail material he would collect at this year's Christmas party.

# # #


	3. Gestures of Romance and Family

Author's Note: Just a few pairings I can see happening, particularly at a Christmas party! Sorry it's a little shorter than the others, but it was just the way it worked out.

Cheeky.

**Gestures of Love and Friendship**

By cheeky-chaos

**Gestures of Romance and Family**

Rodney McKay felt more at home on Atlantis than he had anywhere else before. That was the only reason, and he stressed _only_ reason to anyone who would listen, why he was currently wearing a silly Santa hat and drinking luke-warm punch. It was a sense of family that drew him out of his lab – along with the fact that Sheppard had bullied him out by hiding his laptop.

"Come on, McKay," cajoled a voice beside him. "Loosen up and enjoy the party."

Rodney sighed. It was the inevitable festive torture method that was the Annual Atlantis Christmas Party and if he'd had to make a list of people who would hassle and annoy him until he actually enjoyed himself, Lt. Laura Cadman could be second on that list – right under John Sheppard.

Scowling, Rodney turned towards the strawberry blonde Marine. "I am enjoying myself," he snapped. "Am I not wearing a Santa hat and drinking punch?"

Cadman, as always, seemed immune to the sarcasm dripping off every world. "No," she replied, waving a glass of what looked suspiciously like Zelenka's hooch. "You look like you're skulking in a dark corner. Have you even danced once yet?"

Rodney's eyes drifted to the dance floor where even now Major Lorne was proving that painting was not all he did well as he whirled a pregnant Teyla around the floor, laughing at something Sam had said as she danced by with Sheppard. Even Ronon was attempted to dance with a very patient Jennifer Keller. "Well, I haven't been here long," he blustered.

Cadman just laughed. Throwing back the last of her drink, she grabbed Rodney's hand. "Come on, McKay."

"Where… what are you doing?!" he snapped as she tugged him onto the makeshift dance floor.

"Making sure you dance," Cadman replied with a grin.

Rodney protested loudly at that, but couldn't help but notice how beautiful Cadman looking tonight in a white-trimmed green dress that showed off her long runner's legs. She'd been wearing a matching Santa hat earlier, but Rodney had no idea where it had gone – at least until one of her team mates had walked by wearing it.

"So," Cadman said, breaking into his thoughts as she put his arms around her and began to dance. "How long do you think it will be until the Major makes a move?"

"What?" Rodney blinked.

Cadman rolled her eyes. "Rodney, you at least have to move your feet if you're going to dance," she said. "And I mean the Major and Teyla."

Rodney, who'd just begun to dance while counting in his head, stopped in his tracks. "Lorne and Teyla?" he said.

"Please tell me you have eyes, McKay?" Cadman replied, a little incredulous. "You have seen the way Major Lorne looks at Teyla, right?"

Rodney scowled again. "I don't really have time to notice who's staring at who because I'm too busy trying to save the Universe," he stated imperiously.

Cadman rolled her eyes again, before laughing. Then she stepped forward, until her face was less than an inch from Rodney's – which of course made Rodney stumble backwards. He thought she looked a little tipsy. "What are you doing?" he asked, his eyes wide and a little panicked.

Looking slightly annoyed, Cadman stared at him. "I'm trying to kiss you, Rodney," she answered.

"Kiss me?" Rodney echoed, completely stunned.

Wordlessly, Cadman pointed upwards and Rodney realised she'd manoeuvred him over to the edge of the dance floor and right under a sprig of mistletoe. "Cadman…" he tried warningly as she leaned in again.

She glared back. "Laura," she replied. "My name is Laura."

"Well, Laura…"

He didn't get a chance to finish what he intended to say as Laura's lips met his. She tasted of strawberry lip gloss and Zelenka's hooch and suddenly Rodney decided he really didn't want to talk at all. He was vaguely aware of someone calling out, "Way to go McKay!", but all he cared about was the woman in his arms.

# # #

Ronon grinned as Sheppard laughed delightedly beside him. They'd just spotted McKay and Lt. Cadman kissing in the corner. Personally, Ronon thought is was about time. McKay was coming more and more out of his shell everyday, but he was still way too tense. Hopefully, Cadman would get him to loosen up a little.

"You know, I can annoy him about this for _weeks_," Sheppard said with a grin.

"He's still going to call you Captain Kirk," Sam replied, but she was also smiling in amusement.

Ronon shook his head at the reference he still didn't fully understand. "I'm just hoping it makes him a little less…"

"…annoying?" Sheppard finished.

Ronon shrugged. "Yeah."

With a final glance at McKay and Cadman, who were now making out like teenagers, Ronon turned and started towards the buffet table to get more food, just as Zelenka wandered over, mouth agape. "Is that Rodney kissing _Lt. Cadman_?" he asked incredulously, pushing up his glasses as if he didn't believe what his eyes were telling him.

Ronon shook his head at the odd scientist's behaviour, before smiling when he saw Teyla approaching. "Ronon," she greeted with a smile when she was close enough to be heard over the music.

"Did you see what McKay is up to?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I did." Then she paused. "Ronon, may I have a word with you?"

"Sure," Ronon replied.

"Do you still have the mistletoe you obtained from Chuck?"

At her question, Ronon arched an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. "You finally going to kiss Major Lorne, huh?"

"Yes," Teyla said simply, having never been one to hide her intentions in matters like this. "I am hoping the mistletoe will help persuade him to kiss me back."

Ronon snorted at that. "Trust me, you don't need the mistletoe to get him to kiss you back," he said. "The man's not stupid."

When Teyla glared at him with that frown on her face, Ronon just shrugged and gave up. He knew better than to argue with her when she was in this mood. Pulling the mistletoe from his pocket, he showed it to her, before following her over to where Major Lorne stood taking to a few Marines.

"Major Lorne," Teyla greeted.

"Teyla," Lorne replied, a smile lighting up his face when he saw her.

How Teyla couldn't see how Lorne always smiled more when she was around, Ronon would never know. To him it was obvious. "I was wondering if…" Teyla began at the same moment Lorne said, "Did you see…"

As they lapsed into slightly awkward silence, Ronon snorted and decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. Holding out the mistletoe, he placed it over their heads. "Oh, look. Mistletoe," he deadpanned.

Teyla gave him a glare that promised retribution later, while Lorne's eyes went a little wide and he blushed faintly. "Fine," Ronon grunted, tucking the mistletoe back into his pocket.

With a final frown at Ronon, Teyla turned back to Lorne, before grabbing him by the front of his blue shirt and proceeding to kiss him senseless. Ronon grinned as the Marines hooted.

"Ronon, what are you up to?" Jennifer asked as she came up beside him.

"Nothing," he replied, reaching over to tuck her into his side.

"Oh, man!" Sheppard called out from nearby. "What did Zelenka put in his hooch?"

"It was the mistletoe," Ronon told him.

Beside Sheppard, Sam grinned. "I'm actually surprised you aren't King of the Mistletoe this year, John," she said.

"Hey, those rumours are highly exaggerated," Sheppard protested.

Ronon felt a sense of peace settle over him as he stood there, Jennifer cuddled into his side. Tomorrow the Wraith could attack or Michael and his hybrids could reappear, but tonight that seemed far away as Atlantis celebrated. The people that lived here were strange and unpredictable, but they had one important thing binding them all together: they were a family. And together, they could do anything.

The End


End file.
